


Crazy

by iamgizy (saddle_tramp)



Category: NSYNC
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-02-16
Updated: 2001-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-15 17:21:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saddle_tramp/pseuds/iamgizy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pairing: Chris/Joey, JC/Justin, group<br/>Rating: R</p><p>Summary: Making the band, Gizy style... Consider it an AU if it makes you happy, but it's my story and it wrote itself just like this, so I don't care if it follows 'canon' for when/how the guys met. That seems to change depending on which one of the guys you ask and when you ask him anyhow, so I doubt we know the real story.</p><p>Lyrics are from the classic country song <i>Mama He's Crazy</i> by the Judds.</p><p>Inspiration: Some of my favorite baby!Sync pics and listening to Tony Lucca and George Michael.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crazy

 

+=+=+=+=+  
Mama, I found someone,  
Like you said would come along.  
He's a sight, so unlike,  
Any man I've known.  
=+=+=+=+=

 

JC dodged around the bushes at the base of one of the decorative shade trees that were scattered all over the park, looking over his shoulder and laughing as he said, "J, come on... I didn't mean to!"

"Yeah, well, _I'm_ gonna mean to!" Justin lunged for him again and JC dodged, running right into somebody and knocking them both sprawling on the cobblestones. January wasn't a very popular month for the park, especially little more than five minutes after opening, so JC hadn't expected to run into anyone; the streets were usually deserted this early in the day.

"Sorry man," JC said, unable to help a laugh as he sat up to look at who he'd knocked down. "You okay?"

The short dark haired guy gave JC a dirty look, getting to his feet easily and brushing dirt off of his jeans. "Yeah, I'm fine... Why’nt you and your boy watch where you're going? You could've run over a little old lady or something."

Justin's eyebrows went up and he offered a hand to JC, who used it to pull himself to his feet, not even bothering to dust himself off as he asked, "Me and my what?!"

The guy rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair to brush it back off his forehead as he gestured at Justin with his other hand. "Y'know, your _boy_."

JC looked at Justin, who was still dripping wet from when JC 'accidentally' knocked him into a fountain, and then they both burst out laughing.

"What's so damned funny?" the guy JC had knocked down asked belligerently, missing it as another teenager trotted up to join them. "I've seen y'all around before, you hang all over each other _all_ the time."

The newcomer laughed. "Dude, I've been sayin' that for months! They always laugh at me too." He held out his hand to the guy JC had knocked down, grinning at him. "I'm Joey... The one who can't watch where he's goin' is JC, and the drowned rat is Juppy."

Justin slugged Joey in the shoulder and looked at the guy JC had run into as he said, "I'm _Justin_."

"Chris," the guy said as he accepted Joey's hand, a smile appearing on his face as he recognized him. "You work at Universal, right? Beetlejuice?"

Joey grinned and nodded, happy to be recognized by one of the Hightones. "Yeah man, that's my day job. We know some of the same people." He gestured to JC and Justin, "And they're mice."

Chris couldn't help but grin back at Joey, completely forgetting that he had been annoyed about being knocked down as he looked into dancing brown eyes. "That's cool, my ex is a mouse. If we know the same people you oughta come clubbing with us sometime."

JC and Justin both laughed at that as Joey grinned and said, "Can't man. I ain't legal."

Chris' eyebrows went up as he gave Joey a once-over, taking in the backwards baseball cap that didn't quite cover Joey's shaggy hair, clear brown eyes that were bright with enthusiasm, an infectious grin, a tight black and white striped shirt that showed off muscular shoulders, baggy black jeans with a two-tongued leather belt and dusty brown pair of Doc Marten boots. "You're shitting me, right?"

Joey grinned even wider, his eyes crinkling up. "Nope, almost seventeen."

Chris cocked his head to the side slightly, still looking surprised. "Well damn."

"You're not much older, are you?" Justin asked, looking at Chris.

Chris smirked. "Just twenty-three kid, but I can pass for sixteen if I try."

"That must be a pain in the ass sometimes," JC said, grinning. "I bet you get accused of having a fake ID a lot."

"Nah," Chris said, "I can do the whole responsible adult bit when I need to." He grinned suddenly. "Helps that I know the bouncers at my favorite club though."

Joey looked suddenly hopeful. "Know 'em well enough to get a couple friends in?"

Chris looked from Joey to JC and back again, and then he nodded. "Maybe. Reuben works Fridays, and he'd probably let you two in." He saw Justin frown at that and gave him a wry grin. "Nobody'd let you in kid, sorry. You're what, fifteen?"

"Almost fourteen," Justin corrected him, smirking suddenly because Chris had overestimated his age by two years.

"Don't start gettin' a swelled head J, or I'll have to push you in the fountain again," JC said, already moving out of range of a grab.

"I _knew_ you did it on purpose!" Justin exclaimed, lunging after JC.

JC laughed and sprinted off across the cobblestones, calling over his shoulder, "Can't prove a thing, J!"

Joey laughed and watched them until JC led Justin around a corner, then glanced over his shoulder at Chris to see that he was checking out his ass. Joey grinned and turned towards him as he said, "They're crazy but a hell of a lot of fun. Well, if two guys cuddling doesn't make you wanna hurl."

Chris lifted his gaze to meet Joey's, a frankly appraising look on his face. "You don't seem to mind them."

Joey laughed and then shook his head. "Nah, doesn't bother me a bit man. I think they're a riot, especially when Jup's trying to make Jayce forget how young he is."

Chris raised an eyebrow in obvious question and Joey elaborated, "Jayce won't do anything but hang out with the kid, he says Juppy's too young to know what he wants." Joey leaned a little closer and lowered his voice as he smirked and added, "Personally, I think Jayce is just scared to death to 'officially' date a guy."

Chris grinned, and gave Joey a slightly challenging look. "What about you? You afraid to date a guy?"

"Hell no," Joey replied, laughing. "Guys are my specialty dude, at least I can understand them. Girls are fun but they're like, from another planet or something."

Chris laughed, and then he heard running footsteps and turned his head to see JC coming back towards them from the same direction he had gone, laughing as Justin chased him. JC grabbed Joey as soon as he reached them and moved quickly to hide behind him, mostly out of breath as he gasped out, "Save me, Joe. He's gonna kill me!"

Justin slowed as he reached them, the bright sparkle in his blue eyes a stark contrast to his scowl as water from his clothes dripped to the paving stones. "I sure am!"

Joey laughed and held his arms out to either side, protecting JC. "C'mon, Jup, he just got you a little wet, you--"

" _Twice_!" Justin interrupted indignantly, raising his hand to point at JC. "He let me catch him when we passed the fountain and threw me in _again_!"

Chris laughed. "Didn't you learn anything the first time, kid?"

Justin stuck his tongue out at Chris, then realized something and dropped all pretense of being mad, instead looking smug. "That's okay though, Josh, you'll regret it when we have to leave."

JC peeked over Joey's shoulder at the sudden change in tone, giving Justin a wary look. "And why is that?"

"Cause, you gotta let me ride home in your Jeep," Justin replied, smirking. “You promised Momma you’d make sure I got home okay.”

JC's eyes widened, then he laid his head on Joey's shoulder with a groan. "Shoot me now, Joe."

Joey laughed, lifting his hand to pat the top of JC's head, then saw Chris' slightly confused expression and explained, "His new Jeep has leather seats."

Chris laughed. "Sounds like y'all better find something to do for a few hours."

JC lifted his head quickly, perking up. "Hey, yeah, that'll work!" He grinned at Justin, who was already scowling again. "We'll just stay here until you're dry. Your mom doesn’t care when I bring you home, as long as I do."

Joey grinned at Justin. "Dude, look at the bright side, at least he can't throw you in the fountain again."

Justin made a face at him as JC and Chris both laughed.

 

+=+=+=+=+  
I was afraid, to let him in,  
'Cause I'm not the trustin' kind.  
But now I'm convinced,  
That he's heaven sent,  
And must, be out of his mind.  
=+=+=+=+=

 

"I can't." Chris paced the floor in his nearly bare apartment, chewing on his lower lip.

Joey sat down on the couch and opened a beer as he asked reasonably, "Why not, man? You've got an extra room, and then you wouldn't have to find a new roomie."

Chris shook his head stubbornly. "It's a bad idea, Joe."

"Why?" Joey asked, tilting his head slightly and watching Chris as he continued to pace. "Your place is closer to Universal and I bet my share of the rent would be about the same here."

"Less," Chris said, then shook his head. He started pacing even faster, trying to ignore the little corner of his mind that was screaming 'say yes you idiot!' as he tried to remember all the reasons he couldn't hook up with one of his best friends. "But I can't do it, Joe, I'm sorry."

"Sit down, man," Joey said, "I know you hate holdin' still, but you're making me dizzy."

Chris stopped suddenly and bit his lip, watching Joey, then sighed and walked over to sit on the couch. "It wouldn't work, Joe."

Joey tilted his head slightly. "Why not?"

"JC might not want you living here," Chris replied after a moment, picking at a hole in the knee of his jeans. He was grasping at straws since he wasn't sure if there was anything serious going on between JC and Joey or not, but he couldn't really think of a _good_ reason for Joey not to move in. He knew JC and Joey had been living together since JC got his apartment, and that the two of them had been known to wind up in bed together, so he figured that was as good an excuse as any.

"Nope, Jayce is the one who suggested it," Joey replied, "Try again."

Joey took a drink of his beer, watching Chris' face as he chewed his lip and avoided meeting Joey's eyes, then Chris suddenly sighed and admitted, "It'd just be too damn tempting, Joe."

Joey's eyebrows went up. "How d'you figure?"

Chris rolled his eyes and then finally looked up to meet Joey's gaze. "If we were living in the same apartment I wouldn't last a _week_ before I did something stupid like ask you out."

Joey grinned suddenly. "Hell, ask me now and get it over with then, I promise I'll say yes."

Chris' eyes widened and he asked incredulously, "You'd say yes? If I asked you, I mean?"

"Hell yeah," Joey said, still grinning as he nodded. "I've been trying to work up the guts to ask _you_ out for months."

"You'd go out with _me_?" Chris asked again, still obviously not quite believing what he heard, and Joey laughed, nodding and offering him his beer.

"Have a drink, man, you need it." Joey watched with a grin as Chris took the beer and drank about half of it in three long gulps, then reached to take it back as he asked, "So, where are we going for our first date?"

Chris stared at him a minute, watching Joey take a sip of the beer before he asked, "Why would you want to go out with me, Joe? I've seen how people throw themselves at you when you go clubbing, you could have anyone."

Joey grinned. "Then you shouldn't mind goin' out with me."

"I'm serious," Chris said then, frowning. "Why me, Joe?"

Joey looked at Chris for a long moment, and then shrugged slightly. "You're a lot of fun to hang around, Chris, and no slouch to look at either, besides being smarter than I ever thought about being. Of course I'd like to date you." Joey smiled suddenly and added, "But I'd settle for sharing an apartment with you."

"You're nuts," Chris said after a moment, looking at Joey like he had just sprouted purple bunny ears.

"Yep, and proud of it," Joey replied with a smirk. "Now, can I move in or not?"

"What's JC gonna do for a roomie?" Chris asked instead of answering. "I _know_ he can't afford rent on his place alone."

Joey grinned. "He won't need one. He and his buddies Tony and Dale are planning to head out to California, they're gonna see if they can't break into the music business out there. That’s why I need to find another place."

"What about Justin?" Chris asked, tilting his head slightly again. "How's he feel about JC leaving town with Lucca?"

Joey shrugged slightly, his grin finally fading. "He's pretty unhappy about it, obviously, but it's what JC wants to do so Justin isn't going to complain. He's kinda hoping you'll let me room with you though, so he'll have an excuse to hang out over here. He worships the ground you walk on since you got him into that club for his birthday."

"You have it all figured out, huh?" Chris asked.

Joey nodded. "Yup, all I need is for you to say 'yes' so I can go get my junk."

Chris just looked at him for several minutes that seemed like forever to Joey, and then Chris suddenly said, "I sleepwalk. Naked. And listen to my stereo _all_ night. Sometimes loud. And Howie says I snore, too."

Joey grinned. "C says I sound like a chainsaw if I've been drinking, and I've been known to wander around in my underwear pretty often. You _can't_ scare me off, man, so say yes already."

Chris reached for Joey's beer and drank the rest of it, then shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant even though he wanted to laugh and caper around the room. "Yes."

 

+=+=+=+=+  
Mama, he's crazy,  
Crazy over me.  
And in my life is where he says,  
He always wants to be.  
=+=+=+=+=

 

"So, if we can find another guy, he'll sign us," Chris said with a big grin, flopping down on the bed so that his legs were draped across the back of Joey's calves.

Joey closed his book and half rolled over to look at Chris, who was still in the dress shirt and black jeans he'd worn for his meeting with Lou, though his tie was nowhere to be seen. "He still wants to have five of us, huh?"

Chris turned his head to look at Joey, nodding as he absently ran one hand along the back of Joey's bare thigh. "Yeah, he says there _has_ to be five of us, and with Jayce back in town that means we just need one more guy... Know anyone who sings bass?"

Joey tilted his head to the side slightly, smiling at Chris as he thought about it for a moment. "There's a guy I sang with in high school, Jason... He's pretty good."

"He homophobic?" Chris asked, his expression turning serious as his fingers slipped under the hem of Joey's boxers and then stroked down to the back of his knee again.

Since Lou had offered him the chance to get a group going he had run into a lot of people who didn't like working with them, or with him in particular, because he was gay and not ashamed of it. Lou had even threatened him about it because one of his aides told him that Chris and his 'swishes' were wrestling in the waiting room while they waited to see him. Chris had done some fast talking and convinced him that none of them were actually gay, just bi – which was an outright lie since Chris and JC were both gay – and told Lou they would make sure to act straight in public. Lou had given him a week to convince him, and tonight Lou had decided that he would sign Chris and his group could if they found a fifth, but the first time he saw any kind of gossip about the group saying that they were gay, they'd be out on their ears.

"Not that I ever saw," Joey replied, shifting to roll further towards his side and resting one hand on his hip as he looked at Chris. "I mean, we weren't _buddies_ , but he knew I'm bi and never bothered me about it like some of the other guys did. He can sing too, and he seemed like a nice enough guy, just kept to himself a lot. I've got his parents' number someplace, last I heard he was living with them while he's going to Valencia."

Chris slid his hand up Joey's leg again, then moved his hand to lace his fingers with Joey's as he said, "Great, call him tomorrow."

Joey smiled, tugging gently at Chris' hand. "Why not call him now? It's early yet."

"Cause we've got plans," Chris responded, smirking.

Joey grinned. "Oh yeah, like what?"

Chris let go of Joey's hand and rolled, crawling up the bed and giving Joey a wicked grin. "I wanted a snack..." He pushed at Joey's shoulder, rolling him to his back, then tossed the book Joey had been reading in the floor as he added, "And I'm in the mood for some Italian sausage."

Joey grinned up at him, running his hands up Chris' sides under his dress shirt even as Chris straddled his hips and sat up to start unbuttoning it. "I like how you think."

Chris smirked, grinding his ass down against Joey's half-hard cock. "You like a lot more than how I _think,_ Fatone, admit it."

Joey's hips lifted slightly as he growled, then Joey's hands moved to the waistband of Chris' jeans, unbuttoning them as he said, "You're right. I love the way you feel too, and how you taste, and those little sounds you make when you need to come and don't want to admit it..."

Chris had stopped unbuttoning his shirt when Joey said 'love', looking down at Joey's face, but Joey kept his gaze on his hands as he unzipped Chris' jeans, avoiding Chris' eyes. Chris searched his face for some hint of what Joey was thinking, not really registering the rest of what Joey said as he waited for Joey to look up at him. "Did you say love, Joe?" Chris asked softly when Joey finally looked at his face, his brown eyes dark and unreadable.

Joey swallowed and then nodded slightly, looking down again and more than half afraid to speak because he knew he would start babbling apologies even though he wasn't sorry for how he felt. He hadn't meant to say it, he knew Chris had a problem with the whole idea of being in love and didn't quite believe in it. Chris made no bones about that fact, and Joey wasn't sure if he should expect Chris to have a fit that he had said the dreaded L-word or to just accept it and go on, or what.

Chris' hands dropped from his shirt, one resting on Joey's shoulder as the other went to his chin and he tipped his head up, whispering gently, "Look at me, Joe." Joey swallowed again and looked up at Chris, surprised to see a sweet smile on Chris' face as Chris asked, "Do you _really_ love me?"

Joey nodded again and rested his hands on Chris' sides as he replied softly, "More than I could ever put into words."

Chris leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss, then pulled back enough to look into Joey's eyes, his own sparkling with a look Joey had seen before but never quite recognized for what it was until now. "I love you too, Joe." Chris leaned down to kiss him again, lingering this time as Joey responded, then he pulled up to give Joey a blindingly bright grin, easily as happy as Joey had ever seen him. "I feel like _such_ a sap, but say it for me, please?"

Joey couldn't help but smile back at him. "I love you. I have for a long time, I was just afraid to say anything."

Chris leaned down and kissed him again instead of replying, cupping Joey's face in his hands as he slid his tongue into Joey's mouth. Joey made a soft pleased noise and sucked at Chris' tongue, stroking his own against it as his hands slid around to Chris' back to pull him closer. Chris groaned into Joey's mouth, rocking his hips against him, then suddenly made a low noise and pulled away to look down at him again, his brown eyes bright with what Joey finally realized was love even though his expression was serious. "Don't ever be afraid to talk to me, Joe. You can tell me or ask me _anything_ , okay?"

Joey nodded slightly, smiling up at him as he replied, "Okay." He ran his hands over Chris' back a minute, looking up into his eyes and obviously trying to decide how to say something, then asked softly, "Would you wear my ring?" Chris' eyes widened so much at that, that Joey hastily explained, "Not a _wedding_ ring, I know it's too soon for that, but a promise ring? So you'll never forget I love you."

Chris stared down into Joey's eyes for a long moment, then smiled slightly and whispered, "I'd like that."

Joey returned the smile, his expressive brown eyes letting Chris see just how much he loved him and how happy that made him, and Chris leaned down to kiss him again. After a moment Chris shifted again to press his chest against Joey's, settling in to stay a while as they kissed, their tongues sliding lazily against each other. Joey slid his hands up under Chris' shirt after few minutes to stroke the smooth, firm skin of Chris' back as Chris made a soft noise and arched up into his touch, then lifted up to move his legs before he lowered himself down against Joey again so that he was laying completely draped over him.

"Want you," Chris mumbled against his lips a few minutes later and then began to kiss his way down Joey's throat, delighting in the soft hungry noises Joey made as he moved under him.

"Got me," Joey replied huskily, sliding his hands down Chris' back and into his jeans to cup his ass through his boxers, urging him closer as Joey lifted his hips to grind against him.

Chris groaned softly against Joey's collarbone and rocked his hips as he lightly nipped the smooth skin there before he continued kissing down his body, one hand moving to run over Joey's chest and play with the thickly sprinkled black hair there as he mumbled against Joey's skin, "J'do anything for me?"

Joey nodded, whispering huskily, "Just ask."

Joey tightened his hands on Chris' ass then to pull him more firmly against him as his hips rocked slightly, enjoying the way Chris' hair felt brushing against his skin and then gasping as Chris' tongue circled his nipple. Chris seemingly ignored his reply, licking and nibbling at Joey's right nipple while his fingers just barely brushed over the other one, making Joey moan and writhe under him. After a few minutes he pulled away slightly, his breath tingling against Joey's damp skin as he breathed softly, "Make love to me."

Joey shuddered slightly and opened his mouth to reply but he groaned instead when Chris ducked to close his lips around his nipple again, tongue pressing firmly against it as he sucked at the almost painfully sensitive nub of flesh and gently rolled the other nipple between his fingers. Joey arched his back, pressing upwards as he moved his hands, one sliding up under Chris' shirt again as the other moved to sift through his hair. Chris lifted his head again a moment later and moved over him, barely giving Joey time to inhale before his mouth was on the other nipple, nipping and sucking at it as Joey whimpered slightly and arched upwards again.

Chris lifted his head a few minutes later to watch Joey gasping for breath, sweat making his golden skin almost seem to glow in the soft light from the bedside lamp. He loved watching Joey when he was like this, flushed and aroused and barely able to think, and took every opportunity he got to reduce Joey to writhing and making helpless little noises. After a moment Joey seemed to have calmed down and Chris shifted to kneel over him again as he quickly unbuttoned his shirt. "Make love to me," Chris asked again as soon as Joey opened his eyes to look up at him. "Please?"

Joey licked his lips and nodded as his hands moved to press against Chris' belly and then slide upwards, his eyes roaming the pale skin that was revealed as Chris unbuttoned his shirt. "I'd love to," Joey replied finally, the significance of that simple request not lost on him as his eyes met Chris' with a soft smile. Joey was enough of a sap that there was a big difference in his mind between fucking and making love, and he was pretty sure that Chris remembered hearing Joey explain it to Justin one evening.

JC and Joey had fucked around occasionally while they were sharing an apartment, not as often as the others thought they had but enough that they had no physical secrets from each other. Joey had finally figured out Justin was jealous of him right after JC left for California though, and he had baited Justin into asking about it so he could explain to him that fucking JC was a fun way to pass time with his best friend, not an expression of love.

To Joey, fucking was what you did with someone you thought was hot, and it didn't have to be particularly memorable as long as both people got off. Making love was what you did when you were in love with someone and wanted to savor the chance to show them how much they meant to you, so it was special. Joey had gone on to add it had been mostly because they shared an apartment and it was convenient, not because they were any more attached than they had been before they had sex. Justin had gotten mad about that because he thought JC was too special to treat like that, but Joey had been reasonable and refused to get mad as they talked about it, and Justin finally seemed to come to terms with it. He still didn't _like_ it, but he understood and he didn't get jealous of Joey anymore.

Chris shrugged out of his shirt then and tossed it aside as he rubbed his ass against Joey's cock, distracting Joey from his thoughts and drawing a deep groan from him as Joey’s hips instinctively lifted. "Well what are you waiting for, Joe?" Chris asked with a teasing grin. "Special invitation?"

Joey grinned up at him, his brown eyes bright as he replied, "I already got a pretty special invitation." Chris blushed slightly at that and Joey lifted his hips again as he added, "You really need to get naked and go close the door so if C comes home early he won't get an eyeful."

Chris pretended to pout as he climbed off of Joey and the bed to start towards the door, asking plaintively, "Why do I _always_ have to lock the door?"

Joey laughed at that and Chris looked back at him in time to see him shimmy out of his boxers, then Joey rolled to lay on his side and threw them at Chris, grinning. "Cause you're _always_ on top when it's time to get naked."

Chris didn't seem to really hear Joey's reply or notice the boxers that hit him in the chest, he was too busy staring unabashedly at Joey and admiring the muscular frame that already hinted Joey would be a big man. "Damn, Joe, you're beautiful," Chris said after a moment, his eyes finally meeting Joey's just as Joey blushed, shaking his head.

"No," Joey mumbled, his face flaming. "I'm just—"

" _Beautiful_ ," Chris finished for him firmly as he turned away to walk towards the door. "And don't argue with me about it." Chris locked the door and turned back towards the bed, walking towards it quickly as he added, "I know beauty when I see it, and I'm _damn_ sure looking at it. You're beautiful inside and out, Joe."

Joey shook his head mutely and looked down at the bed, plucking at a wrinkle in the sheet and smiling slightly even though his face was flaming.

Chris quickly shucked out of his jeans and boxers to climb into bed, laying down on his side in front of Joey and smiling at him as he reached out to run his fingertips over the curves of Joey's pecs and down across his firm belly to lightly brush through the black hair leading down towards Joey's crotch. "Beautiful," Chris repeated softly as he moved his hand to rest on Joey's hip, smiling when Joey finally looked into his eyes. "You're amazing, baby, and I'm the luckiest guy I know. I still can't figure out why you picked me."

Joey lifted his hand to touch Chris' cheek, tracing the curve of his jaw with a fingertip as he said softly, "I couldn't pick anyone else, not once I'd met you."

"Why not?" Chris asked softly, his thumb lightly stroking along the dip where Joey's thigh met his body.

Joey shrugged slightly, smiling as he looked into Chris' eyes. "Mama always told me, never settle for less than the best."

 

+=+=+=+=+  
I've never been so in love,  
He beats all I've ever seen.  
Mama, he's crazy,  
He's crazy over me.  
=+=+=+=+=

 

Joey and Chris were walking down an alley in the early morning sunshine towards the old warehouse Lou had them practicing in, in no hurry because they knew nobody else would be there for an hour or so. They showed up an hour early every day if the weather was good so they could go through things without Lou and his handlers standing judgment on them. They knew they needed Lou and his resources right now, but they didn't like the way he pushed them and put them down, and they were already talking about how it would be when they got big enough to get rid of Lou.

This particular morning JC hadn't been able to find a parking place nearby so he had dropped Chris and Joey off about a block away just after seven thirty and headed for a little lot he knew about a block further away to park his Jeep. Chris and Joey hadn't bothered to hurry as they walked towards the warehouse, instead walking slow and enjoying the quiet time together. They knew would have to wait for JC anyway before they could start practice for the day, and Justin's mom usually didn't drop him off until eight so it wasn't likely that he would be waiting for them either.

Jason was usually early because he got a ride from his dad on his way to work, but they weren't in a hurry to hang out with him. Jason never had a lot to say to them, and what he did say usually wasn't good. He complained constantly that Joey got more solos than he did even though Jason was capable of covering the baritone and bass ranges, and he never listened when they told him it was because he wasn't reliable. Joey _always_ sang on key and could harmonize with a complete stranger after hearing them sing a few bars of a song, but Jason still wasn't meshing with the other four after three months of constant work.

"I thought he might get better, Joe," Chris said as they rounded the corner of the warehouse, continuing their ongoing discussion about Jason, "but you're righ—"

There was a muffled thud from inside the building then and Chris broke off suddenly as they heard Justin's voice yell, "Get away from me!" Joey and Chris both frowned at Justin's scared, frantic tone and broke into a trot towards the door to see what was wrong, both of them breaking into a run when they got to it and saw Jason had Justin pinned with his face up against a wall.

"Let him go!" Joey yelled angrily as they ran towards them, and Jason turned his head to glare at them but didn't immediately let go of Justin.

Jason was holding one of Justin's arms up behind his back at an angle that had to be painful, and Chris didn't bother talking when he got to him, he just punched Jason in the jaw as hard as he could. Jason's head snapped sideways and he staggered as he lost his hold on Justin, who jerked away from him and moved to put Joey between them, but not before Joey and Chris both saw that he had a bruise on his cheek and his t-shirt was ripped.

Justin stood behind Joey and pointed at Jason then as he spoke, his tone more angry than scared now that Joey and Chris were there, even though he was shaking. "He said he was gonna rape me."

Jason glared past Joey's shoulder at Justin and said angrily, "I was not, you little prick! You were strutting around shaking your ass and _asking_ for it."

Joey and Chris both started to respond angrily to that – Justin wasn't interested in anyone but JC and they all knew it – but JC shouldered past them before they could, punching Jason in the jaw and knocking his head back into the wall without a word. Jason was dazed by hitting the wall and didn't really fight back as Joey, Justin, and Chris stared in shock, watching JC punch Jason repeatedly before it dawned on Joey that he should probably stop JC before he killed Jason.

As soon as he realized that Joey moved, coming up behind JC and grabbing him by the waist to bodily pull him away from Jason as he said, "Josh, dude, he's done."

JC fought against the pull long enough to knee Jason in the crotch and then let Joey pull him backwards as Jason slid down the wall with a whimper. "I ought to _kill_ the son of a bitch," JC said angrily, his blue eyes still blazing as he turned to look at Chris. "He's out of the group, Chris, I don't care if Lou drops us and we have to start over."

"Hell yeah, he's out," Chris responded, glaring at Jason as Joey let go of JC, watching him warily to make sure he didn't go after Jason again. "Joe and I were just talking about telling him to take a walk anyway."

JC looked around for Justin then and made a soft noise when he saw him, covering the distance between them in three quick strides and then lifting his hand to gently touch Justin's jaw, tipping his head to the side so he could see his bruised cheek better as he asked softly, "Did he hurt you anywhere else, baby?"

Joey and Chris looked at each other as they heard JC call Justin 'baby', and then looked back at the other two to wait for Justin's answer even as Joey's mind went into overdrive. JC had told Joey before he left for California that he was going mostly because he didn't trust himself not to take advantage of Justin anymore, and he had refused to listen when Joey told him that Justin loved JC and wanted to be with him, so he couldn't take advantage of him. JC had a few very firm ideals that he stuck to like glue, and among them was not taking advantage of a child, which he considered Justin to be. Joey couldn't help wonder if JC had finally decided to stop fighting it and give in to the fact Justin loved him. He had never heard JC call anyone baby before.

Justin swallowed hard, his eyes on JC's face as he shook his head slightly before he amended, "My shoulder maybe."

JC looked into Justin's eyes searchingly and moved his hand to the back of Justin's neck, stroking it reassuringly as he asked softly, "You sure?"

Justin nodded, blinking a bit and trying not to cry as his anger wore off and what had happened really sank in. "I— I'll be okay, Josh."

JC looked into Justin’s eyes another moment and then said softly, "C'mere. It's okay to be scared, J."

Justin swayed towards him as JC's arms slid around him and then Justin's face crumpled as he wrapped his arms around JC, hiding his face against JC's neck as he started to cry.

"Coddled li'l whore," Jason mumbled thickly then, making Joey and Chris both turn to glare at him as Jason painfully got to his feet, his already swollen lip and sore jaw making him slur his words. "Y'treat him like he's made'a fuckin' glass, and let'im get 'way with anything. Fuckin' cocktease." Jason spit in JC and Justin's general direction as JC turned his head and glared at him, and Joey and Chris didn't get a chance to react before JC spoke.

"Get the fuck out of here," JC said angrily, "and if I ever see you near him again, I'll kill you."

Jason shoved away from the wall to walk towards the door, skirting around the other four and trying not to let them see how badly hurt he was. "Fuck you. Y'never gonna make it outta this dump anyhow."

"You'll eat those words," Chris said then, glaring after Jason. "Don't you ever show your face around any of us again or it'll get rearranged."

Jason's only reply was to flip them off and then he was out the door and gone, leaving the four of them alone.

Joey and Chris moved closer to JC and Justin, looking at each other and then at Justin and wishing they knew what to say, but Justin surprised all three of them by pulling away from JC suddenly, his eyes wide, and asking, "Did I hear you call me baby?"

JC smiled slightly. "I don't know, J. Were you listening to me?"

Justin looked into JC's eyes a moment, and then looked at Chris and Joey. "Did I hear him call me baby, or not?"

JC chuckled slightly and answered before Joey or Chris had a chance to. "You really should pay more attention to me, baby, then you'd know what I called you."

Justin's eyes widened and he said softly, "Josh, you said it again."

JC just smiled.

 

+=+=+=+=+  
And, Mama, you've always said,  
"Better look before you leap!"  
Maybe so, but here I go,  
Lettin' my heart lead me.  
=+=+=+=+=

 

"I like him," Justin said after a long moment of silence, lifting one hand to hide a yawn behind it and then relaxing against Joey's stomach again as he enjoyed the feel of Chris' fingers in his hair and JC's comforting presence against his back.

The four of them were in the back yard of the small house Lou had them living in, laying in a comfortably sprawled pile on the trampoline and talking about the bass singer they had met a few hours ago. It had been around dark when Lance and his mother got in, but Lou had insisted on a tryout right then, hustling Lance into the tiled bathroom in the basement with the other boys to sing while Lou and Mrs. Bass listened from the doorway.

Lance didn't know any of the music the group had practiced, but he knew _The Lion Sleeps Tonight_ backwards and forwards, and after a little discussion they had tried it, first just with Lance, JC, and Chris and then with all of them. They had all picked up on little ways to make it better the first time so they tried it again, and by the end of the second run through they were all grinning at how good it sounded. There were a few missed lyrics and JC and Joey had gotten their parts confused for part of it, but overall it sounded _good_.

Lou had butted in then and told them to sing something that wasn't older than even Chris was, and after a little discussion they went into _More Than A Feeling_ even though Justin and Lance didn't know all the words. Lou had listened critically and then told Lance to sing alone, and Lance had fidgeted a moment before he started to sing _Friends In Low Places_ , which just happened to show off how low his voice could go very well. Lou had been satisfied and rather smug after that and left to take Lance's mom to dinner to tell her about what they were doing, leaving the five of them to their own devices.

Lance had told them he didn't feel very well not long after Lou left, so Joey had shown him to the empty bedroom before he joined the others in the back yard to talk it over. No group decisions were made without all four of them knowing and having a say anymore, and they all had begun to feel like they could handle anything together, even telling Lou that they wouldn't do something. They had pissed Lou off several times already by refusing basses he found, but his annoyance had only given them more confidence in themselves. Even when they pissed him off, Lou didn't dump them, and that told them one simple thing: Lou knew they were going to be huge someday, and he wanted a piece of it.

JC nodded slowly against Joey's shoulder after a moment, absently running his hand along Justin's side as he said softly, "He's sweet and he can sing." JC paused a second, then amended, "He can sing _really_ well."

"He's really good at harmony," Joey agreed softly, smiling and stroking Chris' back as he looked up at the stars and remembered how perfectly Lance's voice had blended with the rest of them when they had spontaneously joined him for the last chorus of _Friends In Low Places_. Joey loved music and singing, and to have five voices come together so perfectly like that was a near-religious experience, one he wanted to repeat as often as possible. Lance had instinctively modulated his voice so that he didn't drown out any of the others while still fully supporting them, and Joey had never before sung with a bass as talented.

Chris nodded against Joey's other shoulder, smiling as he played with Justin's new shorter haircut and watched the moonlight rippling on the pool across the yard. "Vote. I say he fits."

"Me too," Joey and JC added simultaneously, lifting their heads to grin at each other as Justin echoed them.

Chris sat up suddenly, making the trampoline bounce a little as he grinned at the other three, and his eyes sparkled in the darkness as he said cheerfully, "It's all settled then, he stays. Who wants to tell him?"

"I think we all should talk to him," Justin said quickly, sitting up and moving to sit Indian style next to them, his knees brushing Joey's thigh. "So he knows we all accept him."

Joey nodded, pushing himself up to sit leaning back on his hands as JC moved behind Justin, wrapping his arms around Justin's waist as he moved to sit with his legs on either side of him. "He needs to _know_ about us, too," JC said softly, resting his chin on Justin's shoulder.

"All of us," Justin added, looking at Chris and Joey and thinking about how close the four of them had become in the last few weeks.

They were all totally open with each other now that JC had stopped fighting his attraction to Justin quite so hard, and they had gotten even closer when they moved into the house Lou offered them. Evenings now would usually find all of them together on the bean bag chairs in front of the TV in the basement, often draped indiscriminately over each other as they watched a movie or sang along to the stereo or even just talked. They were still definitely two couples, but the four of them had little in the way of boundaries anymore other than the fact that JC, Joey, and Chris had agreed Justin was too young to be having sex with any of them. Justin didn't quite understand how Chris and Joey had come to have a say over when he lost his virginity but he hadn't argued about it too much because he didn't want them to think he wasn't willing to wait for JC.

Justin was willing to wait, and he was so happy now that he had been pulled into JC, Chris, and Joey's easy camaraderie and included in the flirting that he didn't complain about much anymore. JC touched him all the time now and they kissed often and had made out a few times, and that was enough for Justin until JC and Chris decided he was mature enough to handle something more serious. His relationship with Joey and Chris had changed too, from little brother to near-equals who cuddled if the mood struck, and Justin had to admit he liked it.

Chris and JC had even taken Lynn to lunch the day Lou offered them the house, disappearing for hours as they drove around Orlando and told her about their expectations for the group and each other. Justin had no idea what had been said, but Lynn had obviously known about him and JC when they got back, and about Chris and Joey too, and she had agreed to let Justin move into the house with them. They had moved in a few days later and ever since the other three had always been always right there to take care of him, making the fact that they loved him so obvious sometimes that an outsider might have assumed all three of them were his 'boyfriend' even though JC was the only one he kissed.

Chris chewed at his lower lip and looked towards the pool again, distracting Justin from his thoughts as he asked, "What if he tells his mom? If he decided to make trouble for us, it sure wouldn't be hard."

Joey sat up the rest of the way then, reaching out to stroke Chris' cheek as he said quietly, "I don't think he'd do that."

Chris turned to look at Joey, automatically moving closer and leaning into his touch. "But are you sure?"

Joey was quiet for a moment, looking into Chris' eyes and running his thumb along his jaw, then nodded slowly. "I'm willing to bet on it. He has a lot in common with us, I think. Might even be why he was so quick to jump at this chance, he might need to get out of Mississippi."

Chris chewed at his lip a moment and then nodded suddenly as he leaned over to kiss Joey, then grinned at the other three. "Okay then, let's go tell him."

The four of them moved to climb off the trampoline then, and Joey let the other three get halfway to the edge before he bounced and made them tumble. Chris knocked Joey down then and the three of them started wrestling with Joey, laughing and completely unaware of the wide-eyed teenager who was watching them from his second-story bedroom window. If they had known Lance was watching them, they would have been more careful, but he had acted exhausted and said he was going to go to bed so they hadn't worried about him watching.

Lance _had_ tried to go to sleep when Joey left him alone, but he had been completely unable to relax in a strange house, instead wondering what the other four had thought about him. He knew he could sing and that he had done well harmonizing with them, but he was still afraid they'd tell him to go home because he wasn't at all macho. At least, he had been until he looked out his window on the way back from a trip to the bathroom and he had seen Joey sprawled on his back on the trampoline with the other three laying practically on top of him.

Lance had been surprised by them laying like that out in the open even if it was dark out because the moonlight was bright enough anyone could have seen them, but when they moved he had been even more surprised. JC was five years older than Justin if he remembered right, and to see them unashamedly cuddling in front of their friends had made him stare with more than a little envy, right up until Chris kissed Joey. Lance had been so shocked by that he had moved quickly to sit on his bed, his eyes wide and not really seeing the room as the scene replayed in his head.

The way JC had acted with Justin had made it obvious to Lance that there was more between them than just friendship, and seeing Joey and Chris' interaction immediately afterwards made him wonder if he'd be able to stand being part of the group. They had obviously paired off already, and he had a feeling that would get really lonely after awhile, especially since the four of them were pretty good examples of exactly the kind of guy he wanted for himself. In his opinion all four of them seemed to be fun, talented, and gorgeous to boot, and he had a sinking feeling he just might fall in love if he stayed.

With all of them.

 

+=+=+=+=+  
He thinks I hung, the moon and stars,  
I think he's a livin' dream.  
Well, there are men,  
But ones like him,  
Are few and far between.  
=+=+=+=+=

 

"Want to join them?" Chris asked softly, making Lance blush and look quickly away from the bed on the far side of the chilly little hotel room. Lance hadn't heard Chris come back into the room, and he was mortified to be caught staring at the other three.

Anyone who didn't know them really well might have assumed that Joey and Justin were a couple from the way Joey was holding Justin at the moment, and the way JC was curled up against Justin's back with one hand between Joey and Justin strongly suggested a threesome. Lance knew that it wasn't quite what it looked like and that JC and Joey had been trying to help with Justin's homesickness the only way they could, by holding him and petting him until he drifted off to sleep, but still. The picture the three of them made together was one that Lance couldn't help but want for himself even as he committed it to memory, just like a hundred other similar scenes over the last few months.

When Lance didn't answer Chris moved to sit next to him, looking seriously at him as he asked softly, "Do you?"

Lance blushed even redder, keeping his eyes down on his chemistry book as he shrugged slightly. "Doesn't matter. Y'all have each other, you don't need a scrawny country boy in the way."

"What if we'd like to have your company?" Chris asked, his shrewd eyes watching Lance's face for some hint of what he was thinking.

"Why would you?" Lance asked then, his voice soft and a little sad as he finally looked up at Chris. "You four have something I'll never be lucky enough to find for myself."

"You could have it too, if you wanted," JC said softly then, making Lance and Chris both turn toward the bed in surprise to see that JC was watching them past Joey and Justin, and that Joey had turned enough to look at them. "Nights can get pretty cold if you're sleeping alone."

Lance swallowed and looked away, shaking his head. "I don't want to be just a warm body for someone to use whenever it's convenient."

Chris frowned. "Is that what you think this is all about? You think we're together for the sex?"

Lance shook his head slowly, then added, "But you've already got the people you love, you don't need me too."

"What if we do?" Justin asked suddenly, his voice soft and sleepy. "What if we love you too and we've just been waiting for you to get a clue?"

Lance frowned, his expression a little hurt. "That's not funny, Jup."

Justin lifted his head to look at Lance over Joey's shoulder. "You're right, it's not, you're dense as hell, Poof. Been with us almost six months now and you still don't feel welcome even though we all love you."

Lance still didn't look like he believed Justin so Joey rolled away from him to sit up and look at Lance, his expression calm and serious. "We do, Scoop. We might tease you about a lot of things and even pull your leg, but not about something like this."

JC nodded, propping his chin up on Justin's shoulder. "We didn't fight so hard to keep you just because you're the best bass we've ever sung with, Lance. We wanted to keep you because of who you are. You're sweet and shy and so smart, and a lot of fun to be around, and we all care about you."

Lance chewed at his lower lip, looking at JC with a slightly hopeful expression as he asked, "Honestly?"

JC nodded. "I'll give you my word if you want me to."

"We all will," Chris said quietly, smiling as Lance's expression went from hopeful to slowly dawning happiness. "You're one of us, Lance, if you want to be."

Lance turned his head to smile at Chris, his eyes bright. "Oh yeah."

 

 

~ End


End file.
